Lavonte David has been a Bucs legend for a long time now. But on Monday night, he’ll join the elite of the elite as far as longest-tenured Bucs go when he takes the field at NRG Stadium for his 200th game with Tampa Bay.
David will become just the third Buccaneer to play 200 games with the team, joining two Pro Football Hall of Famers and Bucs Ring of Honor members: Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks. Barber holds the franchise record for most games played with 241, while Brooks is No. 2 with 224.
David, in his age-35 season, already passed Dave Moore (190 games) for third-most in franchise history last season, and now Monday’s milestone will put him in an elite group.
The fact that David has played at such a high level for such a long time has made this milestone possible, and the fact that he and the Bucs have continued to work together on one-year contracts each offseason has made it so that he’ll always be a one-team guy.
That’s something he spoke about last summer when he appeared on the debut episode of Ari Meirov’s “NFL Spotlight” podcast. David was asked about being a one-team guy, and in his response, the longtime Buccaneer captain mentioned Barber and Brooks, noting that he holds it as a high honor to be mentioned in the same breath as those two.
“I never looked at it like that. Growing up, coming into the league, all you want to do is just play football, play the best way you can and then let it go from there,” David said. “I never thought that I would be with one organization for my entire career. It’s incredible. It’s incredible. Just looking at it, I don’t really think about it much, but when people bring it to my attention, yeah, that’s amazing.
Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
“The guys in that organization, the Ronde Barbers, the Derrick Brooks, those guys, to play for the same team their whole career, those guys are legendary guys. So for me to even be brought up in the same breath as those same guys is incredible.”
It’s a group that David belongs in, as his longevity in Tampa Bay is right up there with two of the team’s all-time greats. Barber played from 1997-2012, all in red, white and pewter. His 16 seasons make him the longest-tenured player in Bucs history. But Brooks played from 1995-2008, a span of 14 seasons. David, who was drafted in the second round of the 2012 Draft, just began his 14th season with the team last week, meaning he’s poised to match Brooks’ tenure with the team.
So, as much as David may want to take the humble route and talk about what an honor it is to even be mentioned with those two Buccaneer legends, he belongs right there in that conversation as a franchise great himself.
Lavonte David Continues To Chase Bucs History In Year 14
Along with joining Ronde Barber and Derrick Brooks as the only Bucs to ever reach the 200-game mark with the franchise, Lavonte David will also become the third player in team history to start 200 games. Barber started 232 games during his 16-year career, while Brooks started 221 over his 14-year tenure.
The 2025 season could be the final chapter of David’s Bucs and NFL career, one that began in 2012 alongside Barber, who was in the final year of his storied career. But as David’s 14th campaign goes on, there’s plenty more history to be made.
Former Bucs DB Ronde Barber and Bucs LB Lavonte David Photo by: USA Today
The 35-year-old linebacker is already the franchise leader in forced fumbles (31) and fumble recoveries (19), and while he won’t catch Brooks in total or solo tackles, he can strengthen his grip on second in team history. Brooks finished his career with 2,198 total tackles and 1,300 solo tackles, while David has 1,609 and 1,117, respectively.
David also finds himself tied with David Logan for the sixth-most sacks in franchise history at 39.0. A half-sack would give him sole possession of sixth, and then it would be on to chasing former teammate Shaq Barrett, who is in fifth with 45.0 sacks as a Buc.
One of David’s calling cards for much of his career was his pass coverage ability, and on that front, his 70 passes defensed are the fifth-most in franchise history, though he well within range of another former teammate, Carlton Davis III (73), for fourth. David’s 13 interceptions also rank 10th in team history, and his three defensive touchdowns ties him for fourth among all-time Bucs.
There’s also the fact that David has a special place in NFL history. Coming into 2025, his 1,600 total tackles were the eighth-most of any player since the league began tracking the stat in 1994. Four of the seven players ahead of him are Pro Football Hall of Famers, and with another standard Lavonte David season, he may get as high as sixth. Meanwhile, his 1,117 solo tackles are fifth all-time, and it won’t be long until he gets to fourth on that list.
So, yes, while Lavonte David making history isn’t anything new, there’s still more to come as Year 14 rolls on. He is already a Bucs Ring of Honor lock, and anything he adds on from here can only strengthen his Hall of Fame case. That starts Monday night when he runs out of the tunnel for the 200th time as a Buc.